Behavioural approach to treating phobias

Question 1

what is the behavioural approach to treating phobias?

Answer 1

• systematic desensitisation

- use of hierarchy (flooding)

Question 2

what is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 2

• a behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response such as anxiety to a stimulus
• involves drawing up a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations related to the phobic stimulus, teaching the patient to relax exposure to the list

Question 3

what is the definition of flooding?

Answer 3

• a behavioural therapy in which a phobic patient is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus
• it takes place in a few extreme session

Question 4

How does systematic desensitisation work?

Answer 4

It helps ppl learn a different learned response through counterconditioning
It uses reciprocal inhibition to prevent ppl feeling anxious

Question 5

How does flooding work?

Answer 5

It removes the option of avoidance so the patient learns the stimulus is harmless
Ethical safeguards means patients must give full informed consent and shld be fully prepared for this.

Question 6

What are the evaluation points for SD?

Answer 6

+ effective -Gilroy et al. 2003
+ suitable for a wide range of patients
+ acceptable to patients
- takes a longer time/ more expensive/ more disruptive

Question 7

What are the evaluation points for flooding?

Answer 7

+ cost-effective

• less effective for some types of phobia - social phobias
• very traumatic treatment for some patients